ARTIPLICITY

Welcome to the Biennale

Deborah

Sunday, May 31, 2015

My first time to go to the International Festival of Glass and the Biennale was in 2012. It was exciting to see so many different styles of glass making and I knew when Festival time came around again I wanted to be there. For the 2015 Biennale, I decided to submit a piece for consideration and was surprised and very happy to receive a letter saying that it would be exhibited.

That feeling soon changed to apprehension. As a student (even a mature student) I hadn't much experience of exhibiting my work. There were technical hitches in getting the photo the right size and pixels. But there were also the questions about what I have done so far and what I do. It makes you focus!

Then came the preview night. The room was buzzing with so many people. There was so much to see. I missed my own piece -- it was the first by the door, but I had turned the other direction and missed it. It was only when someone mentioned seeing it that I knew where it was.

There were three low tables on which many of the glass pieces were being exhibited. It was tense watching such a crowd moving so close to the delicate objects. One wrong move and something could have been broken.

The group came to order for the speeches and the prize giving got underway. It all happened so suddenly -- the runner up student prize was the very first to be announced. When they called my name, I had to be nudged to go and accept. It was such surprise.

Then the top student prize went to my fellow student at Richmond Adult Community College (RACC), Haley Haddow. We're both very happy to be winners.

The Festival is over for another year, but the after glow still lingers. I am looking forward to the next one - with or without the prizes!